As an ‘Older Person’ Designing Age-friendly Environments, What Do I Want from My Housing?

I have spent a lot of my working life designing extra care, sheltered, retirement housing and increasingly I find myself thinking, ‘Would I want to live here?’. Like a lot of people, I really want to stay in my current home, but if I were to move into extra care what features would I be looking for?

There is a lot of talk about downsizing—it would be good to get rid of a lot of stuff, although I will still need a lot of bookshelves, and I will want space for family to not only visit but to stay over. So that would be a two-bed apartment with the second bedroom big enough for a double bed, or at least a sofa bed and a desk. If this is both for myself and my husband, as much as we love each other we will still each need personal space and to get away from each other occasionally. Too often in a design, there is a conflict between generous space standards and economics, and the ‘extra’ space that goes towards improving the quality of life gets value engineered out.

Simple things in the plan of an apartment can make life easier for everyone, not just those with limited movement. Providing storage that is actual storage for those possessions too precious to let go of and not just somewhere for M&E. Ideally, in a shallow, wide cupboard for easy access. Allow for a utility space for a washing machine so it is not in an open-plan living dining kitchen. I have never had nor wanted a big kitchen, I am cooking, not counting steps, but it does need to be well organised. Although I suspect everyone’s ideal kitchen is different to everyone else’s, mine would have base units with drawers, not cupboards and be set out as oven – space – hob – space – sink and then draining board, with space for a dishwasher positioned near the sink.

The apartment should not be north-facing; west would be my preference for evening light. I will need access to private external space, either a terrace or a balcony, and it must be big enough for at least some pots and a table and chairs. For me, this has to be in front of the bedroom to shade the bedroom and keep it cooler but not to shade the living room, I must be able to see the sky from inside.

Outside the apartment, in an ideal world, the access is via either well-lit corridors with natural daylight and views to the outside or sheltered open deck access. The latter gives opportunities for dual aspects, through ventilation and the opportunity to watch the world go by when standing at the kitchen sink. My family will tell you that there is no chance of me being behind net curtains and twitching them to see what is going on, I will unashamedly be looking out and indulging in people-watching. Corridors should be broken up with offsets and have spaces to stop and talk, preferably resting spots with seats and a good view.

As for communal areas, it would be nice to have a main staircase near the entrance and lift, although I am aware this is a luxury and unlikely to be required for fire escape. All the usual add-ons that come with extra care, such as a bistro café and activity rooms and a large garden area with opportunities to help with gardening, are on my list, as are the foyer or lounges located with views of activity or the street (see note re-twitching net curtains above…).

The scheme as a whole should be located with easy access to facilities or local amenities and have good transport connections. I don’t want to interact only with people of my age, so being able to get out into the local area and also to have the extra care facilities open to the wider public to use would be great.

Oh, and a 25-meter swimming pool and a sea view would also be good…

Written by Jean Hanna